The Broken Group Islands consist of over 100 islands along the B.C. coast

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Paddling through the Broken Group Islands on a clear day. (Pamela Roth)

Paddling through the Broken Group Islands on a clear day. (Pamela Roth)

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The Broken Group Islands belong to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and consist of more than 100 islands, islets and rocky outcrops scattered in the centre of the Barkley Sound where harbour seals, gray whales and harbour porpoises frequent the waters year round. (Pamela Roth)

The Broken Group Islands belong to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and consist of more than 100 islands, islets and rocky outcrops scattered in the centre of the Barkley Sound where harbour seals, gray whales and harbour porpoises frequent the waters year round. (Pamela Roth)

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Views of the Broken Group Islands from Sechart Lodge, which offers home-cooked meals and hot showers. (Pamela Roth)

Views of the Broken Group Islands from Sechart Lodge, which offers home-cooked meals and hot showers. (Pamela Roth)

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Kayakers make their way from Sechart Lodge into the waters of the Broken Group Islands, nestled between Ucluelet and Bamfield on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island. (Pamela Roth)

Kayakers make their way from Sechart Lodge into the waters of the Broken Group Islands, nestled between Ucluelet and Bamfield on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island. (Pamela Roth)

Powered by a 400-horsepower Bergen diesel engine, the mighty Frances Barkley chugs through the dramatic landscape of the Alberni Inlet en route to the middle of nowhere.

Carrying passengers, kayaks and an assortment of cargo to be dropped off at a handful of tiny remote communities during the four-hour journey, the route to Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast is one Capt. John Adam has travelled for the past six years. It still makes him smile every time he fires up the engine.

“The first time I went through here I was stunned, I was shocked. It blew me away,” said Adam, originally from Scotland, as he takes the vessel once used in the Norweigan ferry fleet up to full speed.

“There’s no development; it’s just remote. We take tourists through here and they just can’t believe it.”

At 356 metres deep, the 40-kilometre inlet stretching from the Pacific Ocean at Barkley Sound to the small city of Port Alberni is home to some of best scenery the island has to offer. Rugged mountains coated in thick trees plunge into the sparking blue water that’s dotted with fishing boats of various shapes and sizes while bald eagles sit high in the trees, searching for their next meal. Farther up the inlet, whales surface from the water, creating a frenzy of excitement amongst those on board.

But the trip through the inlet is only the start of a unique adventure to a place that draws travellers from around the globe — the Broken Group Islands. Known as a paddler’s paradise, the area consists of more than 100 islands, islets and rocky outcrops scattered in the centre of the Barkley Sound, where harbour seals, gray whales and porpoises frequent the waters year-round.

Consisting of coastal rainforests surrounded by sand-fringed bays, quiet coves, exposed reefs and sheltered waterways filled with an assortment of sea creatures clinging to rocky edges, the islands belong to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and have become an internationally known destination for those in search of a true West Coast experience.

Use of the islands is only permitted those with boats, canoes or kayaks, and designated camping is allowed in seven areas. On this particular trip, however, I opt for the comforts of staying in the Sechart Lodge.

I had been in a kayak fewer than 10 times when I decided to unplug and embark upon this solo adventure on the water. But I felt confident that I had enough skills to safely navigate the short distances between the islands and sheltered water, then find my way back to the lodge for a hot shower and home-cooked meal.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous as I slid into my kayak and paddled away from the dock on my own toward a small cluster of islands known as the Pinkertons, located adjacent to the Broken Group.

I’m greeted by a chorus of songbirds the moment I enter the narrow passages that weave through the tiny islands blanketed in trees. The water is calm, the only ripple coming from my paddle.

Staying close to the shoreline, I meander into secluded little coves with sparkling emerald water and rocky beaches, where eventually I pull my kayak onto shore. I feel like an explorer, knowing I have the freedom to paddle wherever I please in this complex maze of islets and passages.

Exploring the Broken Group Islands is like looking into the window to another world. It’s not only teaming with marine life; it also contains many sites of spiritual and cultural significance for First Nations. Parks Canada archaeologists and the Tseshaht First Nation believe Benson Island has been occupied for at least 5,000 years and was once a year-round home to more than 8,500 Tseshaht people. Now, “beach keepers” from the Tseshaht First Nation welcome visitors on certain islands, ensuring they respect their traditional lands.

After six hours on the water with four stops on various islands, I force my aching arms to paddle back to the lodge, where kayakers excitedly share their adventures, pointing to where they’ve been on a large map on the wall.

The experience has been drawing Rex Frost, 68, and 72-year-old Bob George of Victoria to the region for the past 25 years, to camp and kayak on the islands for several days. Originally the pair came with 11 friends but now it’s just the two of them. They don’t plan on stopping the tradition anytime soon.

“The others said we’re too old to do this. I’ll keep doing this until the McCall Brothers come to burry us out at sea,” said Frost as he unloaded his kayak, then made a bolt for the showers in the day-use area of the lodge.

“Every time we come up here we discover something new. You have the same islands but it changes all the time. The water levels are up and down, exposing new sea life you haven’t seen before,” added George. “It really is a wonderful part of our province. It gives you a pause to think about what we have and how lucky we are.”

If you go:

Nestled amongst the trees of the temperate rainforest sits Sechart Lodge, which is off the grid and located a half-mile north of the Pacific Rim National Park Boundary in the Sechart Channel. The lodge offers home-cooked meals, kayak rentals, showers and evenings filled with live music around the campfire. For those who prefer to camp, there is designated camping areas on seven islands. The islands can be accessed from Port Alberni, Ucluelet or from Toquaht Bay. Lady Rose Marine Services runs trips from Port Alberni and Ucluelet to Sechart Lodge. Sea lions visit in late summer and early fall while grey and humpback whales cruise the coast from February to October.